So Buffy has had kidney problem for a couple of years now and gets monthly injections and now Zena has been diagnosed with the same..

I was wondering if a change in diet/food (they eat Iams) would help them in anyway.

Love4himies

November 20th, 2008, 06:18 PM

Oh yes, it will help hugely. I am sure growler will be along with some great advice.

sugarcatmom

November 20th, 2008, 07:39 PM

So Buffy has had kidney problem for a couple of years now and gets monthly injections and now Zena has been diagnosed with the same..

Sorry to hear that. Just wondering, what are the monthly injections?

I was wondering if a change in diet/food (they eat Iams) would help them in anyway.

Diet is probably one of the most crucial aspects in dealing with kidney insufficiency. Is the Iams wet or dry? You'll definitely want to feed them a wet food. You also want a quality meat protein source, not plant proteins and not by-products (so Iams doesn't fit the bill). The other key element is to keep the dietary phosphorus levels at a reasonable level. Generally this is considered to be around 1% dry matter (or 240mg per 100/cal) and under. Here are some charts with the phosphorus levels of many foods:
http://www.geocities.com/jmpeerson/canfood.html
http://webpages.charter.net/katkarma/canfood.htm

In case you haven't seen these CRF sites, they are a must read for anyone dealing with this:

And growler is a fantastic resource of info. I'm sure she'll have plenty of advice for you.

growler~GateKeeper

November 21st, 2008, 02:49 AM

Sorry to hear you've got two kidney cats :grouphug: CRF is managable through love, diet, supplements and the right amount of fluids.

Do you have the blood & urine test result numbers?
How are the blood phosphorus numbers are they outside the normal range?
How much are they drinking? Any dehydration? Vomiting? Appetite is still good? How are their poops any constipation?

The monthly injections is that fluid hydration therapy or something else?
If it is fluids, are the injections under the skin (subq) or into the veins (IV)?

What, if any, supplements are you currently giving?

A food change would be great if they are willing to change. Are they eating canned or just dry? Can you get Wellness (http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/cat_wellness_can_turkey.html) or Eagle Pack Holistic Select (http://www.eaglepack.com/Pages/HS_CanCat.html) in Scotland?

It would greatly help both (all the cats actually :D) the kidney cats to feed exclusively canned food and add in 1-2 teaspoons of water to give some additional moisture. Transitioning cats from dry to canned food (http://www.catinfo.org/#Transitioning_Dry_Food_Addicts_to_Canned_Food_) Cats naturally drink very little water so it is important to add some extra to the canned to ensure they get an adequate amount.

I would suggest to raise the dishes both food & water about 2-4" off the ground it helps to keep excess stomach acid in the stomach & this will help prevent nausea.

My 17yr old grrl has been dealing with CRF for the last year and a half, she's doing quite well with Homeopathic treatments, holistic supplements and recently twice weekly subq fluids. Her thread is here: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=45017 more information and links there.

SCM has also given you some great links have good read through those, lots of information. If you have any questions please feel free to ask or pm me :)

duttypaws

November 22nd, 2008, 10:49 AM

Sorry to hear you've got two kidney cats :grouphug: CRF is managable through love, diet, supplements and the right amount of fluids.

Do you have the blood & urine test result numbers?
How are the blood phosphorus numbers are they outside the normal range?
How much are they drinking? Any dehydration? Vomiting? Appetite is still good? How are their poops any constipation?The monthly injections is that fluid hydration therapy or something else?
If it is fluids, are the injections under the skin (subq) or into the veins (IV)?

I dont know if they got tests... zena started vomiting so the signs were there similar to buffy... they drink a LOT if not injected so im assuming its a hydration injection....

What, if any, supplements are you currently giving?

A food change would be great if they are willing to change. Are they eating canned or just dry? Can you get Wellness (http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/cat_wellness_can_turkey.html) or Eagle Pack Holistic Select (http://www.eaglepack.com/Pages/HS_CanCat.html) in Scotland?

erm as far as I know we get neither... its a huge problem as its what my cats eat... but there are a few other options...
They have dry all day out but eat mainly wet food... very very very fussy cats... so its trial and error....

It would greatly help both (all the cats actually :D) the kidney cats to feed exclusively canned food and add in 1-2 teaspoons of water to give some additional moisture. Transitioning cats from dry to canned food (http://www.catinfo.org/#Transitioning_Dry_Food_Addicts_to_Canned_Food_) Cats naturally drink very little water so it is important to add some extra to the canned to ensure they get an adequate amount.

I would suggest to raise the dishes both food & water about 2-4" off the ground it helps to keep excess stomach acid in the stomach & this will help prevent nausea.

done as the bowls are naturally raised... problem being they have to get up on the counter as the dog is fond of cat food :|

My 17yr old grrl has been dealing with CRF for the last year and a half, she's doing quite well with Homeopathic treatments, holistic supplements and recently twice weekly subq fluids. Her thread is here: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=45017 more information and links there.

SCM has also given you some great links have good read through those, lots of information. If you have any questions please feel free to ask or pm me :)

thankyou... i'll relay it to my mum :)

sugarcatmom

November 22nd, 2008, 12:23 PM

I dont know if they got tests... zena started vomiting so the signs were there similar to buffy...

A diagnosis of CRF can't be made without blood work and a urinalysis. There are too many other disorders that have similar symptoms, and at 14 yrs old, Zena should be going in for at least an annual wellness exam to test for these various ailments.

they drink a LOT if not injected so im assuming its a hydration injection....

Receiving subcutaneous fluids only once a month is practically useless and isn't going to help much in the long run. If Buffy is at a stage where she needs extra hydration, she should be getting them at least a few times a week, if not daily. For this, maybe your mum can learn how to do them at home (it's cheaper!). The vet can show her how, or there is this wonderful site with a fully detailed explanation: http://www.weirdstuffwemake.com/weird/stuff/pets/cats/sophia/catjuice.html

Also, depending on what Buffy's blood work shows and her symptoms, there are a whole host of supplements and medications that can really benefit a cat with CRF. It's worth researching and talking to Buffy's vet about.